Blockchain startup Civic Ledger is Australia's new Emerging FinTech Organisation of the Year

Business Insider is the proud exclusive media partner for the 2018 Finnies, the annual Fintech Australia awards recognising leadership and innovation in the nation’s financial technology sector. Jobs for NSW is the presenting partner of the Finnies. Read more on the awards. »

Civic Ledger, a blockchain startup, has been named Australia’s Emerging FinTech Organisation of the Year at the 2018 Finnies, the annual fintech industry awards.

Katrina Donaghy, co-CEO and co-founder of Civic Ledger, who accepted the award Wednesday night, says the company is focused on using blockchain to improve people’s interactions with government.

“We are very honoured to be recognised by FinTech Australia and the NSW Government as the Emerging FinTech Organisation of 2018,” she says.

Civic Ledger, founded in 2016, is an Australian civic-focused blockchain company that works with governments to solve complex business problems by digitising operations and services using blockchain technologies.

The company has been working with government clients including the Queensland Government, the Federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and IP Australia.

Blockchain uses computers with advanced encryption to keep track of transactions, giving confidence to both buyers and sellers. Transactions of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin are tracked used blockchain.

Victor Jiang, the founder and executive chairman of Sapien Ventures, a fintech focused venture capital firm working with Civic Ledger, says the startup is involved in a number of world-first pilots in government services.

“It is also the only blockchain company in Australia with any meaningful commercial traction in this area, won through open market competitive tenders,” he says.

“We are therefore extremely optimistic about its market position in this emerging blockchain era.”

The winners of the awards, established by industry group FinTech Australia, were chosen from 89 finalists picked from a record 223 entries, a 40% increase on 2017.

* Business Insider is the proud exclusive media partner for the 2018 Finnies, the annual Fintech Australia awards recognising leadership and innovation in the nation’s financial technology sector. We will be bringing you all the best stories from Finnie entrants and Australia’s fintech industry in the lead-up to the gala awards ceremony on June 13. Jobs for NSW is the presenting partner of the Finnies. Find out more here.